Algae blooms no cause for concern

Saturday

Aug 23, 2014 at 2:00 PM

By Annette.Manwell@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4270

While the algae blooms in Lake Macatawa aren’t nearly as bad right now as during the 2012 drought, the greenish brown color has become noticeable lately.Algae blooms are similar to what is experienced in Lake Erie regularly and was what caused the recent problems with the Toledo, Ohio, drinking water, said Kelly Goward, Macatawa Watershed project manager who works for the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council. The local drinking water comes from Lake Michigan, she said, which historically does not have problems with algae blooms.“Although our algae bloom is not particularly attractive, it is actually a good sign for the health of Lake Macatawa,” Goward said.The 2012 bloom did have negative impacts on the region, but for Lake Macatawa, it showed what limiting storm run off into the lake could do. Less sediment was delivered to the lake through the storm systems and the watershed in 2012.Sediment is carried by stormwater when it washes over unprotected soil and streambanks, causing our streams to look like chocolate milk and limiting visibility in Lake Macatawa, Goward said. Sediment phosphorus, which is the main pollutant of concern in Lake Macatawa.When the sediment is removed or it settles out of the water column, “which is a good thing,” Goward said, more sunlight is able to penetrate into the water. With an abundance of phosphorus already present in the water, the clearer water and sunlight allows the algae to bloom.There were fewer intense storms in the spring, meaning less sediment in the lake this year causing the algae to bloom again this year, she said.Work is being done throughout the watershed to reduce the amount of sediment that is delivered to the lake each time it rains, Goward said. Some of the work is part of Project Clarity, a five-year, $12 million plan that will restore some wetlands, build up stream banks and other projects to limit the run off into streams. Work has been done at the Macatawa Greenspace and the Upper Macatawa Preserve. The MACC is also working with farmers to implement farm best management practices that could limit runoff from fields as well. Other plans include a ban on phosphorus fertilizer and increasing use of water-quality friendly lawn care practices and community“There is still a long way to go in reducing sediment,” Goward said. “It is very likely that we will continue to experience periodic algae blooms along the way, but just as the sediment is decreasing over time, so will the algae.”— Follow this reporter on Facebook or Twitter, @SentinelNetty.